Seafood Dinner Recipes You'll Want to Try

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
June 01, 2012
Carson Downing

These fresh seafood recipes come from Midwest chefs and our own Test Kitchen. Check out recipe ideass for fish, shrimp and even lobster.

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Seared Lake Trout with Summer Relish

Carson Downing
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Chef Adam Raupp of the Mission Table restaurant in Traverse City, Michigan, serves caught-that-morning lake trout with tangy corn relish and garlicky spinach vinaigrette. You can substitute rainbow trout, ocean trout, Arctic char, bluefish or striped bass in this recipe.

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Vietnamese Shrimp and Noodle Bowls

Jay Wilde
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These bowls check all the boxes with layers of flavors, textures and temperatures. Grab your chopsticks and dig in!

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Lobster Boil

Jeremy Charles
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Chef Kevin Nashan of Peacemaker Lobster and Crab in St. Louis scaled this recipe for one (very hungry) person. Multiply quantities by the number of people eating, but you might want to dial down on some of the trimmin's or allow a half lobster per person to keep costs in check. (Not into lobster? We've also included tips for turning this into a shrimp boil!)

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Walleye Wild Rice Cakes with Wasabi Dressing

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Cindi Rockwell of Berkley, Michigan, says this recipe, which has two signature Minnesota ingredients, was inspired by the resort her grandparents owned there.

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Lake Chowder

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Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais, Minnesota, makes this buttery, dill-flecked chowder with lake trout, a mild-flavored and relatively oily fish. The recipe tastes just as good with salmon or whitefish.

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Crispy Beer Batter Fried Walleye with Mango Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

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Fresh-fruit sauce brings a lively taste of the islands to down-home beer-battered fish.

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Dilled Shrimp and Orzo Bowl

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Dill, shrimp and a hint of vinegar shine in this light, veggie-filled dish.

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Salmon Smorrebrod

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At Northern Waters Restaurant in Duluth, these open-face sandwiches are assembled in the kitchen, but you can array the components as a make-your-own appetizer or light brunch dish. Improvise with thinly sliced radish or by offering RyKrisp crackers in addition to bread. 

9 of 20

Pepper-Lime Shrimp and Grits

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Mexican flavors give a fresh twist to this classic Southern dish. Best of all, each serving has only 382 calories!

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Old Bay Burger

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This tasty burger from Northern Waters Restaurant in Duluth, Minnesota, is essentially a tender fish cake on a bun. The key is grinding or chopping the fish enough to hold together--but not so finely that it becomes mealy. 

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Planked Salmon with Grilled Tomato Salsa

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Grilling brings out the sweetness in cherry tomatoes, which pair beautifully with the smoky flavor of planked salmon. Brown rice or quinoa round out a healthy dinner.

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Curried Coconut Shrimp and Noodles

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This pasta-based seafood dish features a flavor-packed broth of ginger, curry and coconut milk. The tender noodles soak it up.

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Dilly Smoked Salmon Pizza

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This simple smoked salmon pizza was inspired by one served at The Stone Barn in Nelson, Wisconsin. We love the ease of using purchased crust, but you can sub your favorite homemade dough.

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Cider-Brined Coho Salmon with Dijon Cream

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Freshwater salmon soaks up the flavor of cider-tarragon marinade created by Sally Sibthorpe of Shelby Township, Michigan. She finishes the elegant main dish with a cream sauce scented with aniselike tarragon

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Hummus-Encrusted Tilapia

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Hummus and a panko-walnut mixture tops tender, moist tilapia filets.

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Grilled Fish with Moroccan Vinaigrette

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This flaky white fish looks like a gourmet dish when served over a bed of couscous and dressed with mesclun (a mix of salad greens) and colorful radish slivers.

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Honey-Bourbon Salmon

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Although this recipe takes very little hands-on cooking time, be sure to allow an hour to marinate the salmon so it absorbs all the flavors of the sweet-and-salty marinade.

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Finfish and Vegetables in Papillote

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Cooking in paper—en papillote—is a simple, elegant way to prepare fish. When the package is opened, an aromatic puff of steam escapes.

Bill Dugan suggests that beginners try this simple method: Sprinkle a fresh 4- to 5-ounce portion of fish with salt, wrap in a parchment bag and steam in a vegetable steamer for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve au jus or with a splash of vinaigrette. He also suggests baking delicate fish 15 minutes in a parchment bag with fresh herbs.

The Finfish and Vegetables in Papillote recipe uses fresh vegetables as well as herbs to create a fragrant main dish.

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Caribbean Shrimp Kabobs

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These weeknight-easy skewers marry gently spiced shrimp with juicy pineapple. Serve with rice and a fresh lettuce salad.

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Corn-Roasted Walleye

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Use corn husks to package your fish fillets in this main dish. Roasting the corn salsa intensifies its flavor. Serve with tortilla chips to scoop up any leftover salsa on your plate.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com